Charging device for biological information measurement device and biological information measurement device charged using same

ABSTRACT

The present invention has a main body case having a contact face of a biological information measurement device on its surface, and a first non-contact charging portion ( 7 ) composed of a charging coil disposed opposite the contact face with the biological information measurement device inside the main body case. In addition, it has a controller ( 8 ) that is connected to the first non-contact charging portion ( 7 ), and a display section ( 5 ) that is connected to the controller ( 8 ). Upon completion of the charging of the biological information measurement device via the first non-contact charging portion ( 7 ), the controller ( 8 ) connected to the display section ( 5 ) displays on the display section ( 5 ) that the biological information measurement device will be incapable of measurement for a specific length of time.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to International ApplicationPCT/JP2013/001383, with an international filing date of Mar. 6, 2013,which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-054162filed on Mar. 12, 2012 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-196947filed on Sep. 7, 2012. The entire disclosures of InternationalApplication PCT/JP2013/001383, Japanese Patent Application No.2012-054162, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-196947 are herebyincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device, and to a biological informationmeasurement device that is charged by said charging device, and can beput to use when biological information (such as a blood glucose level)is measured from blood, for example.

BACKGROUND

A conventional charging device for a biological information measurementdevice of this type had a first main body case with a biologicalinformation measurement device contact face on its surface, a chargerinside this first main body case, a controller connected to thischarger, and a display section connected to this controller (see PatentLiterature 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2010-136594, forexample).

If the battery of the biological information measurement device ran low,the biological information measurement device was brought into contactwith the contact face of the charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device, and the biological informationmeasurement device was charged.

With the conventional configuration discussed above, however, a problemwas that measurement could not be executed properly after charging.

Specifically, when the battery inside the biological informationmeasurement device was charged, heat was generated by the battery, whichraised the temperature inside the biological information measurementdevice. For example, when the biological information measurement devicewas one that measured blood glucose levels, temperature correction forthe blood glucose level was performed by using the temperature insidethe first main body case of the biological information measurementdevice, but proper temperature correction could not be performed in astate in which the temperature inside the first main body case hadrisen, and as a result the proper measurement could not be performed.

In view of this, it is an object of the present invention to allowproper measurement to be performed with a biological informationmeasurement device.

SUMMARY

The present invention comprises a first main body case having a contactface of the biological information measurement device on its surface, afirst non-contact charging portion disposed inside the first main bodycase and opposite the contact face, a first controller that is connectedto the first non-contact charging portion, and a first display sectionthat is connected to the first controller. The first controller displayson the first display section that the biological information measurementdevice will be incapable of measurement for a specific length of timeafter the end of charging of the biological information measurementdevice.

With the present invention, since the biological information measurementdevice is incapable of measurement for a specific length of time, thatis, until the temperature inside the biological information measurementdevice naturally cools to the temperature outside the biologicalinformation measurement device, the user can recognize that thebiological information measurement device is incapable of measurement.

When the biological information measurement device is used after thisdisplay has disappeared, the temperature inside the biologicalinformation measurement device has by that time naturally cooled to thesame temperature as that outside the biological information measurementdevice, so the proper temperature correction can be accomplished.

As a result, the proper measurement can be carried out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the usage state of the charging device fora biological information measurement device in a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device in the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is an oblique view of the biological information measurementdevice in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the biological information measurementdevice in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an operational flowchart of the charging device for abiological information measurement device in the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 shows the display on the display section of the charging devicefor a biological information measurement device in the first embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an operational flowchart of the biological informationmeasurement device in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows the display on the display section of the biologicalinformation measurement device in the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device in a second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the biological information measurementdevice in the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an operational flowchart of the charging device for abiological information measurement device in the second embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 12 is an operational flowchart of the biological informationmeasurement device in the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The charging device for a biological information measurement device, andthe biological information measurement device charged by this chargingdevice, in the first embodiment of the present invention will now bedescribed through reference to the drawings. It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from this disclosure that the followingdescriptions of the embodiment is provided for illustration only and notfor the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

First Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 1, the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 charges, for example, a biological informationmeasurement device 2 that measures blood glucose levels from blood,which is an example of biological information.

The biological information measurement device charging device 1 has aflat main body case (first main body case) 3 whose upper face isquadrangular, and a contact face 4 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2 is provided over a wide area of this upper face.This contact face 4 is formed by a substantially square recess, and thebottom of this recess is flat. That is, when the biological informationmeasurement device 2 is placed on the flat part of the recess formingthis contact face 4, the biological information measurement device 2 ischarged. This charging is non-contact charging that makes use of amagnetic flux, which is used in the charging of household electricshavers and so forth.

The contact face 4 is formed larger than the main body case 3 of thebiological information measurement device 2, which affords some room forerror in the placement of the biological information measurement device2.

A display section (first display section) 5 and a charging start key 6are provided around the contact face 4 on the upper face of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1.

A first non-contact charging portion 7 composed of a charging coil isdisposed at a position opposite the contact face 4 in FIG. 1 on theinside of the main body case 3, and is connected to a controller (firstcontroller) 8. This controller 8 is also connected to the displaysection 5 and the charging start key 6, as well as a power supply 9, aclock 10, and a memory section 11. Also, a biological informationmeasurement device detector 12 that detects that the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 has been set on the contact face 4 isprovided inside the controller 8.

The biological information measurement device 2 that is charged by thisbiological information measurement device charging device 1 will bedescribed through reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The biological information measurement device 2 has a cuboid main bodycase (second main body case) 13, and a display section (second displaysection) 14 is provided on the upper face of this main body case 13. Asensor mounting portion 15 is provided on the distal end side of thismain body case 13. A connector terminal 17 of a flat, rectangular bloodglucose level sensor 16 is mounted to this sensor mounting portion 15,and when blood is deposited on a deposition portion 18, the bloodglucose level is measured by the measurement section 19 in FIG. 4. Theblood glucose level is temperature-corrected with the temperature of thetemperature sensor 20 in FIG. 4. This temperature-corrected bloodglucose level is displayed on the display section 14 by a controller(second controller) 21.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor mounting portion 15 of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 is connected to the measurement section19 inside the biological information measurement device 2, and thismeasurement section 19 is connected to the controller 21. Inside thebiological information measurement device 2, the controller 21 isconnected to the display section 14, the temperature sensor 20, arechargeable battery 22, a second non-contact charging portion 23composed of a charging coil, a memory section 24, and a clock 25. Also,a charging controller 26 that controls the rechargeable battery 22 andthe second non-contact charging portion 23 during the charging of therechargeable battery 22 is provided inside the controller 21.

As performance has improved in recent years, the size of the displaysection 14 used in the biological information measurement device 2 hasincreased, and this has led to higher power consumption. Accordingly,the rechargeable battery 22 is provided inside the main body case 13,and is suitably charged when the capacity of the rechargeable battery 22runs low, thereby ensuring that the device has power.

The charging of the biological information measurement device 2 by thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 is performedby non-contact charging by the first non-contact charging portion 7 at adrive frequency of 145 kHz, for example.

The operation during charging of the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1 in the above configuration will now bedescribed through reference to the flowchart in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the user places the biological informationmeasurement device 2 on the contact face 4 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1, the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 starts charging the biologicalinformation measurement device 2.

First, the controller 8 of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 starts intermittent communication with the biologicalinformation measurement device detector 12 in order to confirm that thebiological information measurement device 2 has been placed on thecontact face 4. More specifically, the biological informationmeasurement device detector 12 starts to send a trickle currentintermittently, at specific intervals, to the first non-contact chargingportion 7 (step S1 in FIG. 5).

When the user places the biological information measurement device 2 onthe contact face 4 in this state, the first non-contact charging portion7 inside the biological information measurement device charging device 1reacts to a reflection signal from the second non-contact chargingportion 23 inside the biological information measurement device 2, andthe impedance thereof changes. Accordingly, the amount of currentflowing to the first non-contact charging portion 7 changes. When thebiological information measurement device detector 12 detects thischange, the controller 8 confirms that the biological informationmeasurement device 2 has been placed on the contact face 4 (step S2 inFIG. 5).

After this confirmation, charging of the biological informationmeasurement device 2 begins.

When this charging begins, heat is generated by the rechargeable battery22, which ends up raising the temperature inside the biologicalinformation measurement device 2. Upon completion of the charging, thiselevated temperature is measured by the temperature sensor 20 inside thebiological information measurement device 2, and if temperaturecorrection is done at this measured temperature, the proper temperaturecorrection cannot be performed, and as a result the proper measurementcannot be accomplished.

In view of this, in this embodiment the biological informationmeasurement device 2 is provided with a measurement-impossible time,during which it is incapable of measurement, after the end of charging.The biological information measurement device 2 is then allowed to coolnaturally within this measurement-impossible time. The display apprisesthe user, prior to the start of charging, that the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 will be incapable of measurement for atime after the end of charging.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the controller 8 displays “Nomeasurement right away?” on the display section 5 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 before the start ofcharging, and prompts the user to confirm the end of measurement withthe biological information measurement device 2.

Next, the controller 8 displays “Measurement impossible for 30 minutesafter start of charging” and the measurement-impossible time (30minutes) on the display section 5 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1, notifies the user that thebiological information measurement device 2 will be incapable ofmeasurement for a time after the end of charging (step S3 in FIG. 5).This measurement-impossible time (30 minutes) is a pre-calculatedmaximum measurement-impossible time, and is stored in the memory section11 of the biological information measurement device charging device 1.

These two displays alert the user to the fact that the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 cannot be used for a time after thestart and end of charging of the biological information measurementdevice 2, and allow the user to measure a blood glucose level ifmeasurement by the biological information measurement device 2 is notyet finished. These two displays continue until the user presses thecharging start key 6 of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 (steps S3 and S4 in FIG. 5 are repeated).

When the user presses the charging start key 6 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1, charging of thebiological information measurement device 2 begins. When chargingbegins, the biological information measurement device 2 enters a stateof being incapable of measurement for a specific length of time (thiswill be discussed in detail below).

At the start of this charging, the controller 8 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 displays on the displaysection 5 that the biological information measurement device 2 will beincapable of measurement for a specific length of time. Morespecifically, the controller 8 displays “Measurement impossible for now”on the display section 5 of the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1. The controller 8 also acquires the chargingstart time with the clock 10 and stores it in the memory section 11.

When charging begins, the controller 8 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 charges the biological informationmeasurement device 2 by continuously sending a specific amount ofcurrent to the first non-contact charging portion 7, which is composedof a charging coil (step S5 in FIG. 5).

This charging is performed by non-contact charging that makes use of amagnetic flux, which is used in the charging of household electricshavers and so forth. That is, a magnetic flux is generated in the firstnon-contact charging portion 7 by sending current to the firstnon-contact charging portion 7, which is composed of a charging coil. Anelectromotive force is generated in the second non-contact chargingportion 23 (composed of a charging coil) of the biological informationmeasurement device 2, using this magnetic flux as a medium. Thiselectromotive force of the second non-contact charging portion 23 iscontrolled by the charging controller 26 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2, and the rechargeable battery 22 is charged. Thecharging of the rechargeable battery 22 continues in this state, and isended after a specific amount of time has elapsed (such as after 5minutes) (step S6 in FIG. 5).

When the charging is finished, the controller 8 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 calculates theremaining measurement-impossible time.

More specifically, the controller 8 acquires the charging completiontime from the clock 10, compares it with the charging start time in thememory section 11, and finds the charging duration. The cooling duration(the remaining measurement-impossible time) is calculated from thischarging duration.

The charging here lasted for 5 minutes, so the measurement-impossibletime is set at 10 minutes, which is two times the charging duration (thefactor for calculating the measurement-impossible time), for example.

The factor for calculating the measurement-impossible time here was twotimes the charging duration, but this calculation factor may be suitablydetermined according to the configuration of the biological informationmeasurement device 2. The calculation factor thus determined is storedahead of time in the memory section 11 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1.

The controller 8 of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 displays the calculated measurement-impossible time bydisplaying “Charging complete” and “However, wait 10 minutes formeasurement” on the display section 5 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 (step S7 in FIG. 5).

This display allows the user to accurately ascertain the remainingmeasurement-impossible time.

Within this measurement-impossible time, the temperature inside thebiological information measurement device 2 naturally cools to thetemperature outside the biological information measurement device 2, andtherefore after the measurement-impossible time has elapsed, the propertemperature correction can be performed. As a result, the propermeasurement can be performed.

After this, the controller 8 of the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1 ends the series of charging processing (step S8in FIG. 5).

The operation of the biological information measurement device 2 duringcharging will now be described through reference to the operationalflowchart in FIG. 7.

The controller 21 of the biological information measurement device 2uses the charging controller 26 to detect that electricity has begun toflow to the second non-contact charging portion 23 (composed of acharging coil), and the controller 21 thereby detects that charging hasbegun (step S1 in FIG. 7).

At the start of charging, the controller 21 displays themeasurement-impossible time and “No measurement for 30 minutes after thestart of charging” on the display section 14 of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2. How long this measurement-impossibletime is displayed on the display section 14 is a pre-calculated maximummeasurement-impossible time, and is stored in the memory section 24 ofthe biological information measurement device 2.

Next, the controller 21 of the biological information measurement device2 renders measurement by the measurement section 19 impossible duringthe measurement-impossible time.

At this point the controller 21 uses the timer function of the clock 25to start counting up the charging duration. More specifically, the counton the timer of the clock 25 is increased to measure the chargingduration.

After this, the charging controller 26 is used to start charging therechargeable battery 22. The charging controller 26 charges therechargeable battery 22 with current flowing to the second non-contactcharging portion 23 (composed of a charging coil), and the charging iscontinued until the voltage of the rechargeable battery 22 reaches aspecific level (step S2 in FIG. 7 is repeated).

When the charging is finished, the controller 21 calculates the accuratemeasurement-impossible time. More specifically, the count-up of thetimer of the clock 25 is stopped, the charging duration is calculatedfrom this count-up value, and the cooling duration (the remainingmeasurement-impossible time) is calculated from this charging duration.

The charging here lasted for 5 minutes, so the measurement-impossibletime is set at 10 minutes, which is two times the charging duration (thefactor for calculating the measurement-impossible time), for example.

The factor for calculating the measurement-impossible time here was twotimes the charging duration, but this calculation factor may be suitablydetermined according to the configuration of the biological informationmeasurement device 2. The calculation factor thus determined is storedahead of time in the memory section 24 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the controller 21 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2 displays the measurement-impossible time and “Nomeasurement for another 10 minutes” on the display section 14 of thebiological information measurement device 2. This display allows theuser to accurately ascertain the remaining measurement-impossible time.This measurement-impossible time is stored in the memory section 24. Thetime function of the clock 25 is then used to start counting down themeasurement-impossible time, and the count is updated until themeasurement-impossible time of the memory section 24 reaches zero.

After this, the user lifts the biological information measurement device2 up from the biological information measurement device charging device1, mounts the blood glucose level sensor 16 to the sensor mountingportion 15 of the biological information measurement device 2, andelectrically connects the connector terminal 17 to the measurementsection 19 (step S3 in FIG. 7). Also, the controller 21 of thebiological information measurement device 2 determines whether or notthe measurement-impossible time of the memory section 24 has elapsed.More specifically, it is confirmed whether or not themeasurement-impossible time of the memory section 24 has reached zero(step S4 in FIG. 7).

If the measurement-impossible time has not yet elapsed, that is, if themeasurement-impossible time is not zero, the controller 21 takes themeasurement-impossible time out of the memory section 24 and displays iton the display section 14 (step S5 in FIG. 7).

An example will be described. Let us assume that charging of thebiological information measurement device 2 is started before breakfast,and charging is complete 5 minutes later. The remainingmeasurement-impossible time at this point is 10 minutes, since thecharging lasted 5 minutes. If the user connects the blood glucose levelsensor 16 to the biological information measurement device 2 at 5minutes after this point, the measurement-impossible state and “Nomeasurement for another 5 minutes” are displayed on the display section14 of the biological information measurement device 2.

The user looks at this display and can ascertain that the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 is still in a state in whichmeasurement is impossible.

Meanwhile, after the measurement-impossible time has elapsed, a displayof “Measurement is possible” is given on the display section 14 of thebiological information measurement device 2 by the controller 21 tonotify the user that measurement is now possible. The user startsmeasuring the blood glucose level, this value is displayed on thedisplay section 14 (step S6 in FIG. 7), and the measurement is concluded(step S7 in FIG. 7).

Specifically, as described above, in this embodiment the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 is in a state in which measurement isimpossible for a specific length of time after the end of charging bythe biological information measurement device charging device 1.

At this point, the display section 5 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 displays that the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 will be incapable of measurement for aspecific length of time (that is, until the temperature inside thebiological information measurement device 2 naturally cools to thetemperature outside the biological information measurement device 2), sothe user can recognize that measurement is impossible with thebiological information measurement device 2.

When the biological information measurement device 2 is used after thisdisplay has disappeared, since the temperature inside the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 at that point has naturally cooled tothe same temperature as the one outside the biological informationmeasurement device 2, the proper temperature correction can beperformed.

As a result, the proper measurement can be carried out.

Thus making measurement with the biological information measurementdevice 2 impossible for a specific length of time after charging wouldat first seem to make the device less convenient, but in thisembodiment, as discussed above, a message indicating that the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 will not be capable of measurement fora while after the start of charging is displayed ahead of time, and theuser is prompted to perform measurement.

When a blood glucose level is measured by an individual, once ameasurement is taken, it is almost never the case that anothermeasurement will be taken again in a short period (such as betweenmeasurement before breakfast and measurement before lunch). Accordingly,if measurement is performed before the start of charging, there will beno practical problem even though there is a measurement-impossible timeafter charging.

Also, in this embodiment, as discussed above, all the user has to do toperform automatic non-contact charging is to place the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 on the contact face 4, which makes thedevice very convenient to use and allows daily charging to beaccomplished simply.

Since daily charging can thus be carried out simply, in this embodimentthe rechargeable battery 22 of the biological information measurementdevice 2 can be smaller. Therefore, the biological informationmeasurement device 2 can be more lightweight and easier to handle. Also,because the rechargeable battery 22 is smaller, a single charge willtake less time, and this also makes handling easier.

When the biological information measurement device 2 is not being used,the controller 21 goes into what is known as sleep mode to reduce drainof the battery 22.

Second Embodiment

The biological information measurement device charging device, and thebiological information measurement device charged by the same, in asecond embodiment of the present invention will now be described throughreference to FIGS. 9 to 12. The constituent elements that are the sameas in the first embodiment will be numbered the same and not describedagain, and some will not be depicted.

When the biological information measurement device 2 is not being used,as discussed above, for example, the controller 21 goes into sleep modeto reduce drain of the battery 22, but there will still be a slightdrain on the battery.

Accordingly, if the biological information measurement device 2 is notused for an extended period, such as when a long time elapses betweenthe time when the biological information measurement device 2 is shippedfrom the factory until it is given to the user, there is the risk thatthe battery 22 will be drained.

In particular, if the time display on the clock 25 inside the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 should be off due to drain on thebattery 22, then it may be that the precise measurement time cannot berecorded along with the blood glucose level when a blood glucose levelis measured, and a health evaluation using a number of blood glucoselevels cannot be performed.

In view of this, in the second embodiment of the present invention, theclock 25 of the biological information measurement device 2 can be setto the precise time.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9, with the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 in this embodiment, the controller8 is connected to the clock 10 and a transmitter 27 that sends timeinformation from this clock 10 by radio waves.

As shown in FIG. 10, a receiver 28 that receives by radio waves timeinformation sent out by the transmitter 27 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 is connected to the controller 21of the biological information measurement device 2.

Specifically, when the biological information measurement device 2 isplaced on the biological information measurement device charging device1, the biological information measurement device 2 is charged, andduring this charging, time information from the clock 10 of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 can be sentto the clock 25 of the biological information measurement device 2 viathe transmitter 27 and the receiver 28.

As a result, the clock 25 of the biological information measurementdevice 2 can be set to the precise time.

This time setting will now be described in detail.

First, preparation for charging with the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 will be described.

In this embodiment, the clock 10 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 shown in FIG. 9 is constituted by aradio-controlled clock that receives digital signals transmitted from astandard radio wave broadcast station and automatically sets the time.

When the user plugs the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 into a household outlet (not shown), the power isswitched on to the biological information measurement device chargingdevice 1, and the biological information measurement device chargingdevice 1 is started up. The clock 10 then receives a digital signaltransmitted from the standard radio wave broadcast station, allowing thetime to be automatically set on the clock 10.

If the time has not been set on the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1, the controller 8 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 will deactivate operation of thecharging start key 6. When the time setting of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 is then finished, thecontroller 8 activates the operation of the charging start key 6, andcharging preparation is concluded.

Next, the operation of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 in time setting and charging of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 will now be described through referenceto the flowchart in FIG. 11.

In FIG. 11, steps T1 to T3 are inserted as time setting processing inbetween steps S5 and S6 in the charging flowchart of FIG. 5 (which showsthe first embodiment).

When the user places the biological information measurement device 2 onthe biological information measurement device charging device 1, thecontroller 8 of the biological information measurement device chargingdevice 1 sequentially executes the processing of steps S1 to S4 in FIG.11 in the same manner as the processing of steps S1 to S4 in FIG. 5(discussed above), and the charging of step S5 in FIG. 11 is begun. Thischarging is non-contact charging, and is performed by the firstnon-contact charging portion 7 at a drive frequency of 145 kHz, forexample.

When charging begins, the controller 8 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 confirms whether or not timeinformation has been sent from the clock 10 to the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 (step T1 in FIG. 9).

This confirmation is determined by whether or not communication endinformation (such as a communication end flag) has been stored in thememory section 11 of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1. This communication end information is deleted inadvance by the controller 8 in step S5 in FIG. 11 at the start ofcharging.

Immediately after the start of charging, the time information has notyet been sent from the clock 10 to the biological informationmeasurement device 2, so there is no communication end information. Inview of this, the controller 8 of the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1 pairs the transmitter 27 with the receiver 28of the biological information measurement device 2 in order to send timeinformation to the biological information measurement device 2, andconfirms whether or not communication is possible (step T2 in FIG. 9).

This communication between the transmitter 27 and the receiver 28 isnear field communication using RFID communication, for example.

Accordingly, the transmitter 27 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 serves as a writer that transmitsRFID information, and is controlled by the controller 8 to perform RFIDcommunication by radio waves. The receiver 28 of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 shown in FIG. 10 serves as a readerthat reads the RFID information, and is controlled by the controller 21to perform RFID communication by radio waves.

Once the pairing of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 and the biological information measurement device 2 issuccessful, the controller 8 of the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1 uses the transmitter 27 to send timeinformation (current time) from the clock 10 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 to the receiver 28 ofthe biological information measurement device 2. The biologicalinformation measurement device 2 performs the processing of steps T1 toT3 in FIG. 12 (discussed below), and sets the clock 25 to the precisetime with the received time information.

At this point, the controller 8 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 displays “Current time: 18:00:00”on the display section 5 of the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1, and notifies the user that the time setting ofthe biological information measurement device 2 is complete. After this,the display on the display section 5 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 is updated to match the time, andafter a specific length of time (such as 30 seconds), the display isswitched to indicate that charging is in progress, such as “Charging.”

This will be described in detail below, but a notice of the completionof time setting of the biological information measurement device 2 isalso given on the display section 14 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2, and the display on the display section 14 of thebiological information measurement device 2 is updated to match thetime.

Therefore, the user can recognize that the clocks of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 and the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 have been synchronized by comparing theupdated information displayed on the biological information measurementdevice charging device 1 and the biological information measurementdevice 2.

The controller 8 of the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1 stores the communication end information in the memorysection 11 (step T3 in FIG. 11).

The communication of time information is performed by the transmitter 27at a transmission frequency of 13.56 MHz, for example.

With the biological information measurement device charging device 1 inthis embodiment, since the drive frequency of the first non-contactcharging portion 7 (e.g., 145 kHz) is different from the transmissionfrequency of the transmitter 27 (e.g., 13.56 MHz), the RFIDcommunication is not hindered by charging, and as a result the clock 25of the biological information measurement device 2 can be set duringcharging.

After this, step S6 in FIG. 11 is executed, and charging is continued.

In step S6 in FIG. 11, if charging has not yet finished, the flowreturns to step T1 in FIG. 11. This time, the time information of theclock 10 is sent to the biological information measurement device 2 instep T3 in FIG. 11, so the flow returns to step S6 in FIG. 11 rightaway, and charging is continued.

In step T2 in FIG. 11, if pairing has failed, the controller 8 of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 executesstep S6 in FIG. 11 and continues charging, while the flow returns tostep T2 in FIG. 11 via step T1 in FIG. 11, and the transmitter 27 isagain paired with the receiver 28 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2.

When charging is finished, a transmission complete display (time settingcomplete display) is performed in addition to the processing of step S7in FIG. 5 discussed above. More specifically, the controller 8 of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 displaysmessages such as “Charging and time setting complete,” “Charging endtime: 18:05:00,” “Current time: 18:05:00,” and “But no measurement for10 minutes,” as well as charging end information, time information, andmeasurement-impossible time information, on the display section 5 of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 (step S7 inFIG. 11).

Of course, the current time is updated.

The user can look at the display section 5 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1 and see that the charging of thebiological information measurement device 2 and the setting of the timehave finished.

After this, the controller 8 performs the procedure of step S8 in FIG.11, just as with the procedure of step S8 in FIG. 5, and this series ofcharging processing is concluded.

Next, the operation of the biological information measurement device 2during the charging of the biological information measurement device 2and time setting will be described through reference to the flowchart inFIG. 12.

In FIG. 12, steps T1 to T3 are inserted as time setting processing inbetween steps S1 and S2 in the operational flowchart of FIG. 7.

In step S1 in FIG. 12, if the start of charging is detected, thecontroller 21 of the biological information measurement device 2confirms whether or not time information has been received from theclock 10 of the biological information measurement device chargingdevice 1 (step T1 in FIG. 12). This confirmation is determined bywhether or not communication end information (such as a communicationend flag) has been stored in the memory section 24. This communicationend information is deleted in advance by the controller 21 when thestart of charging is detected.

Immediately after the start of charging, the time information for thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 has not yetbeen received by the biological information measurement device 2, sothere is no communication end information. In view of this, thecontroller 21 pairs the receiver 28 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2 with the transmitter 27 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 in order to receivetime information, and confirms whether or not communication is possible(step T2 in FIG. 10).

If the pairing is successful, the controller 21 receives timeinformation (current time) from the clock 10 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 via the transmitter 27of the biological information measurement device charging device 1 andthe receiver 28 of the biological information measurement device 2, andsets the clock 25.

Specifically, when the user merely places the biological informationmeasurement device 2 on the contact face 4 of the biological informationmeasurement device charging device 1, time information from the clock 10of the biological information measurement device charging device 1 isset in the clock 25 of the biological information measurement device 2.

As a result, the clock 25 of the biological information measurementdevice 2 can be set to the precise time.

At this point, the controller 21 displays, for example, “Current time:18:00:00” on the display section 14 of the biological informationmeasurement device 2, and notifies the user that the reception of timeinformation by the receiver 28 is complete. After this, the display isupdated to match the time, and after a specific length of time (such as30 seconds), the display is switched to indicate that charging is inprogress, such as “Charging.”

The controller 21 stores communication end information in the memorysection 24 (step T3 in FIG. 12).

After this, step S2 in FIG. 12 is executed, and charging is continued.

In step S2 in FIG. 12, if the charging is not yet finished, the flowreturns to step T1 in FIG. 12. This time, since time information of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 has beenreceived in step T3 in FIG. 12, the flow returns to step S2 in FIG. 12right away, and charging is continued.

In step T2 in FIG. 12, if pairing has failed, the controller 21 of thebiological information measurement device 2 executes step S2 in FIG. 12and continues charging, while the flow returns to step T2 in FIG. 12 viastep T1 in FIG. 12, and the receiver 28 is paired with the transmitter27 of the biological information measurement device charging device 1.

After charging is finished in step S2 in FIG. 12, that is, after thereception of time information by the receiver 28 is complete andcharging of the rechargeable battery 22 is complete, the controller 21displays messages such as “Charging end time: 18:05:00,” “Current time:18:05:00,” and “No measurement for another 10 minutes,” as well ascharging end information, time information, and measurement-impossibletime information, on the display section 14 of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2. Of course, the current time isupdated.

The user can look at the display section 14 of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 and see that charging has finished, andcan also confirm that the current time has been precisely set. As aresult, the biological information measurement device 2 can be used withconfidence.

In order to reduce heat generated by the display section 14, thecharging end information, the time information, and themeasurement-impossible time information are displayed for a specificlength of time with the brightness of the display section 14 reduced.

Once charging is finished, the measurement processing of steps S3 to S7in FIG. 12 is carried out just as with the measurement processing ofsteps S3 to S7 in FIG. 7 discussed above.

As described above, in this embodiment the receiver 28 inside the mainbody case 13 of the biological information measurement device 2 isbrought into contact with the contact face 4 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1, after which timeinformation is received from the transmitter 27 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1. Accordingly, pairingand RFID communication can be reliably performed in a state in which thereceiver 28 of the biological information measurement device 2 and thetransmitter 27 of the biological information measurement device chargingdevice 1 are in close proximity.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as discussed above, one the time hasbeen set for the biological information measurement device chargingdevice 1, the controller 8 activates the operation of the charging startkey 6, and preparation for charging is complete. That is, after the timesetting is concluded for the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1, time setting and charging of the biologicalinformation measurement device 2 are performed, so the precise time ofthe biological information measurement device charging device 1 can beset to the clock 25 of the biological information measurement device 2during charging.

As described above, in this embodiment the controller 8 of thebiological information measurement device charging device 1 is connectedto the clock 10 and the transmitter 27 that transmits time informationfrom the clock 10 by radio waves, as shown in FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 10, the receiver 28, which receives by radio waves thetime information sent by the transmitter 27 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1, is connected to thecontroller 21 of the biological information measurement device 2.

Specifically, when the user places the biological informationmeasurement device 2 on the biological information measurement devicecharging device 1, the biological information measurement device 2 ischarged by the biological information measurement device charging device1. In addition, time information from the clock 10 of the biologicalinformation measurement device charging device 1 can be sent to theclock 25 of the biological information measurement device 2 via thereceiver 28 during this charging.

Therefore, the clock 25 of the biological information measurement device2 can be set to the precise time.

As a result, the clock 25 of the biological information measurementdevice 2 can be precisely set while the proper measurement can beperformed.

As discussed above, the present invention includes a first main bodycase having a biological information measurement device contact face onits surface, a first non-contact charging portion disposed inside thefirst main body case and opposite the contact face, a first controllerthat is connected to this first non-contact charging portion, and afirst display section that is connected to this first controller. Thefirst controller displays on the first display section that thebiological information measurement device will be incapable ofmeasurement for a specific length of time after the end of charging ofthis biological information measurement device. This configurationallows the proper measurement to be performed by the biologicalinformation measurement device.

Specifically, with the present invention, it is displayed that thebiological information measurement device will be incapable ofmeasurement for a specific length of time (namely, until the temperatureinside the biological information measurement device has naturallycooled to the temperature outside the biological information measurementdevice), so the user can see that the biological information measurementdevice is incapable of measurement.

When the biological information measurement device is then used afterthis display has disappeared, since the temperature inside thebiological information measurement device by that point has naturallycooled to the same temperature as outside the biological informationmeasurement device, the proper temperature correction can be performed.

As a result, the proper measurement can be performed.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is expected to find wide application as abiological information measurement device charging device, and as abiological information measurement device that is charged by thischarging device.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device, the charging device comprising: a firstmain body case including a contact face disposed on an exterior surfaceof the first main body case; a first non-contact charging portiondisposed inside the first main body case and opposite the contact face;a first display section; a first controller connected to the firstnon-contact charging portion and to the first display section, the firstcontroller configured to control the first display to display a messageindicating that the biological information measurement device will beincapable of measurement for a specific length of time after the end ofcharging.
 2. The charging device for a biological informationmeasurement device according to claim 1, wherein: the first main bodycase further includes an upper face, and the contact face and the firstdisplay section are provided on the upper face of the first main bodycase.
 3. The charging device for a biological information measurementdevice according to claim 1, wherein: the first controller is furtherconfigured to control the first display section to display a messageconfirming an end of measurement by the biological informationmeasurement device prior to the start of charging of the biologicalinformation measurement device.
 4. The charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising:a clock connected to the first controller; and a transmitter connectedto the first controller and configured to transmit time information fromthe clock via radio waves.
 5. The charging device for a biologicalinformation measurement device according to claim 4, wherein: a drivefrequency of the first non-contact charging portion is different from atransmission frequency of the transmitter.
 6. The charging device for abiological information measurement device according to claim 4, wherein:the first controller is further configured to control the first displaysection to display a message indicating that a transmission is completeafter the transmitter transmits the time information to the biologicalinformation measurement device by radio waves from the transmitter.